Sacrifices We Make (And The Ones That Break Us)
by loOkMA-iTyPeLiKeDiS
Summary: The plan was supposed to be simple: investigate the shady happenings in Yoshiwara. AU Future Fic
1. Chapter 1

_AU fic based on future with canon elements; I haven't caught up yet, so keep in mind most of the stuff here might be made up or altered. All characters look like their future versions (so yes, Okita has that sexy long hair)._

 _disclaimer: don't own gintama, plot is mine._

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"Kagura?" Tsukuyo asked in concern, setting her pipe down briefly to give her her full attention. "Are you alright? You've been staring off into space for a while now."

"I'm fine," Kagura lied, though her general disposition and the blank stare she was giving the others probably belied her reassurance.

Everyone was staring at her in concern, some with looks of scepticism and disbelief over her comment. After all, a pretty big bomb had just been dropped on her head. If her face looked anything like the turmoil that was brewing in her mind, then no doubt she knew she wasn't looking particularly okay.

Shinpachi sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose from the side. "As I thought. This kind of job is too much to ask her. Let's just go with our original plan."

"The original plan is too risky," Okita muttered, chewing on his blade of wheat where he was leaning against the wall. "Especially since we're trying to keep a low profile."

"Well she's clearly not okay. Look at her face."

"She's a big girl," Okita drawled sarcastically. "She doesn't need Big Brother covering for her anymore."

Shinpachi eyes narrowed, his eyes flashing a warning to the other man. Okita seemed entirely unfazed by his ire. In fact, he was smirking at Shinpachi, the exact type of look that would no doubt bring about an argument or fight.

Hijikata rolled his eyes, letting out a soft stream of smoke. "Enough. We're not going to get anywhere with the plan if we argue like this. But Sougo's right. It's a decision Kagura ultimately has to make for herself."

The eyes were back on her all over again, and Kagura sighed, sitting back against her cushion and wishing that she had had the foresight not to open the door when they had knocked. She could have been enjoying the calm of a warm starlit night right now. The air was humid, but not stuffy and it would have been the perfect night to spend on her roof, basking in the warmth while nursing some strawberry milk.

She should have had more reservations from the get go, especially since the news station had only been playing the video of the public execution of some Joui members all afternoon. From what she'd heard from Otose that afternoon, most all vigilante rebels and people opposed to NobuNobu's rules were on edge now. Things were getting bad for everyone who was essentially an enemy of NobuNobu and keeping a low profile was a must, especially in this city of Edo they lived in.

Kagura herself lived as a vigilante, continuing the work of Gintoki in Yorozuya, but she never bit off more than she could chew by herself, and she made sure her nightly activities never crossed paths with anyone or anything having to do with NobuNobu's bakufu. Once he'd become Shogun, he'd quickly established himself as a ruthless and violent leader and one who had absolutely no qualms squashing opposition without mercy or hesitation. While many of the people who'd originally been publically opposed to his rule had been forced to live in hiding, they still continued on with their duty to better Edo through underground methods and in secret. As such, Shinpachi still continued Yorozuya under the guise of fixing up buildings and what not by day, but by night, he went around Edo, stopping injustices and ruining any activities by NobuNobu's men.

Kagura hadn't left their home that evening, so she hadn't expected any sort of trouble when someone knocked on the door. She'd honestly believed it would be Otose to bring her news about their comrades or even dinner for that night, but what she hadn't expected was two ex-Shinsengumi members along with Tsukuyo standing at her doorstep with sombre expressions on their faces. And what she _really_ hadn't expected was the case they'd brought to her and Shinpachi.

For weeks, girls from various brothels in Yoshiwara had been disappearing and not because Tsukuyo had been inducting them into the ranks of Hyakka. The whole thing was highly suspicious, and Tsukuyo suspected it was because there was a human trafficking ring or something equally untoward happening in the pleasure houses of Yoshiwara. She knew investigating something so large might be difficult, so she'd asked Hijikata if he could investigate with some of his old members undercover. It turned out, for years, the two had been exchanging whatever information they had on current affairs on Kabuki and teaming up with the other whenever they needed help. And with his help, Tsukuyo was able to find the focal point of the suspicious activity to one particular brothel named Lotus that NobuNobu and some of his associates were rather fond of. And so Hyakka and the ex-Shinsengumi-turned-vigilantes decided to team up to get to the bottom of this mystery. And now they wanted Yorozuya's help.

Or more specifically, they wanted _Kagura's_ help by having her infiltrate the pleasure quarters as one of the girls in order to find out what was going on from the inside.

They'd all agreed that they needed to keep a low profile and the best way to do that was to send someone virtually unknown. And apparently, Kagura was the perfect candidate since she had gone off to be an alien hunter in space for a few years and returned nearly unrecognisable from the goofy girl Gintoki had adopted years ago.

"It's a lot to ask, but we can't think of who would be better than you," Tsukuyo continued after dumping some of the ash in her pipe onto the ashtray. "But you wouldn't be alone. Okita will be your liaison who you'll discuss the plan and make decisions with."

"As in he'll buy me," Kagura said, her irritation spiking at the thought of being treated like cattle. "Like I'm some piece of meat."

"It is a brothel after all."

Hijikata shot Okita a glare, clearly telling him to stop being so patronising. He only smirked, obviously finding the whole thing rather funny.

"Fuck off. All of you. Especially you, you sadist piece of shit," Kagura spat, shooting up to her feet and storming out of the living room. "I won't be your tool for this mission."

She ignored them calling her name to come back. She stomped to the front door and left, walking out onto the balcony and trying to cool her racing mind and thoughts by breathing in the calm of the night. A breeze had been blowing a little, making the air chillier than before, but she relished it, especially since it was keeping her from axe kicking the wood of the banister and cracking it to relieve her tension.

Kagura refused to take part in this awful plan. She was a born fighter with physical strength that exceeded most Amanto and humans and a ferocity that was better suited to brawls than something like entertaining men in the seedy district. She was not a tool to be used for a plan like this. What was she supposed to do? Have sex with every single man there while she did her investigation? Did they have any idea what they were trying to make her do? Once upon a time, Kagura might have thrown herself head first into the danger to try to make things right, but that wide eyed, selfless girl had long since departed. This was too much to ask, especially when what it entailed was something extremely personal.

The door opened and slid shut behind her and a few seconds later, she heard footsteps shuffling behind her, approaching her. The newcomer settled beside her, resting his arms on the banister, and she was assaulted with a familiar scent that used to throw her into rage whenever she caught wind of it. Kagura glared at Okita, irritated by his nonchalance and the way he always seemed to disregard her anger.

"What part of me storming out did you not get means I want to be alone?"

"The others designated me as the one to make sure you didn't take off. I guess I'm the only one who can take you on." The words were said with a degree of amusement that almost instantly snapped another thread of Kagura's irritation. Sometimes, she felt like he was truly trying to push her buttons on purpose to get her to start fighting him for no reason.

Kagura scoffed, flipping a loose piece of hair over her shoulder. "I don't recall you ever being able to beat me once."

He grinned, something kind of dangerous that was only amplified by the look in his red eyes. "We can settle that score right now."

"Pass," she said blandly. "And forget it. I'm not doing this job."

His gaze remained on the stars above their heads as he chose his words deliberately. "When did you become so spineless, China?"

Anger flared under her skin and she grit her teeth, her hands curling into infuriated fists around the wood. It was easy for him to be easily on board with this situation. After all, he would be safely away from lecherous men in a district where sex was sold without inhibition or hesitation. He wouldn't have to be violated and touched by people he didn't know. He had some nerve calling her spineless when he had one of the easiest jobs in this plan.

"Why am I the one that has to do it? Why not Ane-go? She knows more about seduction than I ever would."

Okita gave her a weird look. "Why would we send her? She's with child. Besides, she's publically known as Kondo's wife. If we expose her in this plan, she'll be killed without a second thought, especially since the bounty on Kondo's head is so high."

"Wait, she's _pregnant_?" Kagura could not have ever imagined Otae having little gorillas. Any other time, she might have laughed at the mental image that popped in her mind of the woman nursing hairy gorilla babies, but the humour of the image was staunched by the direness of the current situation.

"You really do live in your own little world, huh?" he said crossly, giving her a look out of the corner of his eye.

It couldn't be helped. Kagura had been largely out of touch with Earth and the people she used to know for several years. And while she'd slowly been reuniting with them since her return, there were many she had yet to talk to or see because most everyone she knew who'd opposed the bakufu was in hiding now.

But she didn't like the way he'd said the words, like she was a disappointment to him. It bothered her more than she wanted to admit. No, she didn't particularly care what that dumbass sadist thought about her, but over the years, they'd become something like working allies—not friends, but not enemies—so she did feel like she was letting someone on her team down.

"You know, you can sit there and call me spineless and think that this plan isn't that bad all you want," Kagura remarked quietly, staring at a ladybug traversing the wooden planks where her hands were resting, "but you're not doing any of the seducing. You don't have to bed these random men."

He stared at her, scrutinising her from her tone, but Kagura refused to look at him. Refused to let him see the fear that had etched its way in her eyes. She didn't like to show weakness, and she especially refused to show weakness in front of _him_. But even through her efforts, she could tell he'd already caught wind of it.

"Look, we'll do the best we can to make that a non-issue." Okita sighed in exasperation, scratching the back of his head. "We'll make sure to pay several days in advance for you once you start being one of the front girls. But there's only so much we can do. Like I said, it is a brothel you're going undercover in, which comes with certain tasks that must be fulfilled in order to maintain your cover. It's an unfortunate sacrifice you'd have to make, but that's why we're giving you a choice."

Kagura knew. She wasn't an unreasonable girl or stupid. She knew everything Okita was saying made sense, but she was scared. This wasn't a simple fight against an enemy she could beat up or a recon mission. She wasn't playing to her strengths, and she would almost entirely be out of her element in this plot. Girls who worked in the pleasure houses were graceful and seductive with a natural charm to them bred from years of feminine practices. Kagura had spent the better part of her adolescence beating up bad guys and getting into brawls, so this kind of stuff was lost on her.

"We just need someone on the inside who can investigate and who can protect themselves and the other girls. But they have to realistically be the type of girl who might work in a brothel."

It almost would have been a compliment, had she not seen the smirk that formed on his lips and realised the implication of his words.

"Oi…" she grumbled, sneering at him. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

His smirk grew, that familiar teasing gleam in his eyes present. "I personally think anyone other than a pig would work, but everyone else thought you'd be adequate."

"You want to go to your grave early, huh Sadist?" But her threat was lacking its usual punch. He had a point about the criteria for a girl to work in a brothel. Those pleasure quarters had pretty high standards and whoever they had to go with for the plan had to be someone who was fairly young and attractive. But on top of that, it had to be someone against NobuNobu who was willing to put themselves in danger for their plan. That probably hadn't left them with very many options. She wondered how they would have proceeded if they couldn't have requested her help. "If I said no, who was the original person you'd have gone with?"

"…Soyo."

"What?!" Kagura spun to face him, her eyes widening in disbelief and horror. "That would have been horrible! She would never be right for that kind of job. Plus NobuNobu and his men would instantly recognise her. She's too public a figure."

"Which is exactly why she would work," he explained, though he sounded just as displeased about the option in the first place. "It's a tragic story of royalty that lost its throne and ended up not being able to provide for herself except in one way. It's just enough that they might not suspect ulterior motives from her."

Kagura shook her head in disdain. "She's never properly learned to protect herself. How would she defend herself if she gets caught or attacked?"

"That's why we came to you. We can't think of any other options." Okita straightened, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfied grunt when the joints popped and cracked. "We need you for this job. I don't think there's anyone else who can handle this."

"I get it." She wasn't happy about it, but she did understand. "Shut up."

"We'll need your answer tonight. We've waited long enough, and girls keep disappearing. It's time to get this thing started, with or without you, so what's your verdict?" He turned around to head back inside and she watched as his ponytail swished behind him before he disappeared inside the worn down home of her once pseudo-father. "Make up your mind, China."

He didn't need to ask her to make up her mind. Kagura knew. She already knew her resolve to retain her refusal had been squashed with each of his words. And mentioning her old friend definitely hadn't helped. Kagura could only say no if no one else she cared about ended up pulled into this issue. But if she refused, she'd be putting Soyo in danger instead, and as much as Kagura lived for herself now, she was still that same girl who didn't want to see the people she cared most about hurt. Especially if she could prevent it.

With a final sigh of annoyance, she straightened up and headed back into Yorozuya, slamming the sliding door shut for good measure. When she marched into the living room, the patrons stared up at her expectantly, looking like they were holding their breath to see what she would ultimately decide to do.

"So what's the plan?" she said without prelude, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Hurry up before I change my mind."

Hijikata coughed in his hand to try to hide his smile and Tsukuyo nodded to her in appreciation and partly what seemed like an apology. Shinpachi didn't look too pleased, but Kagura figured it was because he didn't want her to put herself into the direct line of fire like this.

"There's a man named Tomoya at a pawn shop on the outskirts of Yoshiwara. We suspect he may be tied to the actual trafficking process, but we have no real evidence as of now," Hijikata explained while flicking his lighter against the butt of a fresh cigarette. "All we know is he provides new girls to the pleasure houses. He tends to aim for beautiful girls who don't seem to have families or a future. Less chance for them to be missed, I'm guessing."

"Kagura, you are to go down there to sell an item. Make sure you mention it is a family heirloom—the only thing left of your family—but that you cannot support yourself any longer," Tsukuyo continued, crossing a slender leg over the other. "Because you are beautiful, vibrant, and young, we suspect you will be propositioned to join the pleasure house for money, and you will do just that."

"Well that doesn't sound too hard," Kagura replied. She'd thought it would be a lot more work to get a job in the brothel. "So how do I get information once inside? Just get those higher ups to buy me and then beat them up for it?"

"I want to kill myself for even saying this," Okita muttered, leaning against Gintoki's desk with a raised brow. "But violence isn't the answer to the problem this time, China."

"He's right, Kagura," Hijikata said, his expression subdued. "This plan requires a little more tact and subtleties. It's risky because the minute they know we're on to them, they'll probably stop activities, so you can't make rash decisions or ones that will reveal your alliance."

"And above that, getting a chance to meet them is going to take a little more effort. The only way you will be close to being able to meet and associate with the other men is if you become a high ranking courtesan. But all women start as an apprentice once they're taken in. You'll probably entertain guests in the tea-house with music, dancing, and conversation, but you won't be doing anything one on one. Only high ranking courtesans will probably meet with the customers that pay the most, and only high ranking courtesans are put on display," Tsukuyo added. "The madam of the brothel wouldn't give her highest paying customers anything but the best."

Kagura should have known it wouldn't be easy. Complicated plans like this with several nuances never were.

"So how do I get to the top?"

"That depends entirely on your progress and how much you are desired by other customers. The sooner the better, so we'll train you so that it's a faster way to the top once you get in the brothel. As for customer reception, Okita as well as other disguised Shinsengumi members will continue to receive you to get your ranking higher."

"And what happens once I get to the top and become a high ranking courtesan at the front of the display? Will you guys have to pay more to see me?"

There was an awkward pause as people shifted their gazes away and stopped making eye contact with each other. Even Okita was averting his gaze, looking slightly guiltily at the ground. The foreboding feeling in the back of Kagura's mind grew uncomfortably. She knew exactly what the silence in the room meant.

"Kagura, once you get to the highest ranking, you will become highly requested and expensive. People will deposit large amounts just to spend a night with you."

"I will not spend a night with any random men," Kagura said angrily. There was a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "Isn't there a way you guys can override someone's request if you really want me or—"

"It wouldn't make any sense for the matron to turn down a much larger sum of money than the one we'll be paying for one courtesan if someone does desire you for a night," Okita interrupted. "She's a businesswoman first and foremost, China. Once she realises she can make a lot of money off of you, no doubt she'll take advantage of the situation. At that point, there's not much we can do. We don't have an unlimited pool of resources either so we can only keep you out of anyone else's hands while you're starting up. But after that, it won't be easy."

"You mean you're leaving me on my own," she snarled.

"Work fast," Okita said crudely in much the same tone, unperturbed by her growing vexation, "and you won't have to fuck a lot of men."

Kagura stiffened, her body flaring with heat and anger mounting at his callous words. She uncrossed her arms, ready to unleash hell on him, but someone else beat her to the punch.

"Sougo!" Hijikata scolded. "If you're not going to say anything productive, get the hell out!"

He shrugged, quieting though he was barely holding back the sardonic grin creeping on his face. The sick bastard thought the situation was funny.

"I don't like this," Shinpachi growled, speaking up for the first time since Kagura walked back in. "You haven't explored all options or done enough investigating, yet you're ready to throw Kagura into the fray blind? This is too risky."

"We don't have the luxury of time anymore, Shinpachi. Don't worry," Tsukuyo said, smiling to try to reassure him. "Okita will be sticking close by at all times."

"That's what I'm worried about…" Shinpachi stated, eyeing Okita with distrust.

"The rest of us will also be around investigating and can help her at times. She won't be alone," Hijikata added for good measure.

Shinpachi slumped back on the blue couch, nonplussed, but he quieted nonetheless. The situation was still clearly bugging him, but there was nothing he could do about it anymore, and without a valid alternative, they had no choice but to carry on with Kagura as the lead in the plan. Kagura felt for him, and she did appreciate his concern, but their options were really low and the more time they spent trying to fine tune the details, the more these shady dealings would continue happening. She didn't see what else they could do, no matter how much she was starting to hate this plan.

"There's a lot riding on this mission, Kagura." Hijikata's expression turned serious and he snubbed out his cigarette, his blue/grey gaze burning a hole into Kagura's retinas. Play time was definitely over, though she noted wryly, the irony of how dire their situation was that their earlier attempts to convince her was what could be considered "playtime" for them. "If this will help us even a little bit to defeat Nobu Nobu and get Edo back to the way it should be, then we have to put forth our whole effort, no matter the risk. Don't go into this half-hearted if you have no intention of giving it your all. We need you one hundred percent or not at all."

She was convinced she'd lost her mind to agree to something like this. But when she glanced at each of them in turn—Hijikata, Tsukuyo, and finally Okita—and saw the same small inkling of hope in their eyes, she couldn't help but feel a bit of that old energy she used to get when she used to go on missions with Shinpachi and Gintoki to stop crime and right the wrongs of the people around them."

Kagura sighed in resignation, sinking down onto her seat beside Shinpachi. This had to be done for the good of everyone. No matter how much she loathed the prospect, she knew she was probably their best bet—and their best hope—for success. This wasn't going to be easy, but she was nothing if not resilient and a born fighter. She could do this.

"I'm in one hundred."


	2. Chapter 2

_Lol this story is M rated. Also, the tone will darken quite a bit starting next chapter._

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Okita hid further under the shadows of the tree, tipping his hat down as some bakufu officers strolled by, laughing at something one of them had said. He remained there inconspicuously hidden until he felt that they'd gone enough of a distance. It was already dark out so the risk of getting caught was low plus Okita knew he could take them if he did get caught, but he wasn't supposed to take unnecessary risks or bring attention to himself. He already had a notorious reputation as is. He didn't need to make it any worse with the potential deaths of other bakufu members. Especially since a high bounty on his head would make it more difficult to carry out the plan with Kagura.

Placing the blade of wheat back into his mouth, he continued on his way to Yorozuya to relay the information he'd confirmed that day. He and Hijikata had spent the better part of three days scoping out Lotus and the neighbouring brothels to give Kagura as much information as they could before she went undercover. On her side of the operation, she'd been preparing for the infiltration mission. The first day, she'd spent with Tsukuyo going over what to expect in a brothel, logistics, and how to navigate the customs and politics of brothels—in other words, how not to get kicked out. The next, Soyo had helped her work on manners and being graceful and feminine—in other words, everything Kagura was lacking. And today, the final day, apparently Otae was working on some secret stuff with her that they refused to share. They'd even told him not to stop by with any information for the plan until dusk had fallen. And he'd done so, but now it was late evening so he figured now was as good a time as any to come. By this point, she had to be ready, right?

He'd gotten an update from Soyo the day before that Kagura was making a lot of progress, but it had been said with a degree of hesitation and a look in her eyes that made Okita wonder if she was bending the truth a little. Did she mean "a lot of progress" in general or "a lot of progress" for _Kagura_? Sure, Kagura was no longer that gangly teen she'd been years ago—and arguably, someone he would buy from a brothel at first glance if he didn't know what kind of person she was and as long as she didn't talk—but she was far from graceful. Okita knew from experience, having fought her and argued with her time and time ago.

But then again, that was the Kagura of the past before Gintoki disappeared and she took off to outer space to become an alien hunter. That loudmouthed, sukonbu-obsessed, cheerful girl he remembered was now cold, closed off, with a deep, lingering sadness in her gaze. There were times when he caught a glimpse of that old girl every once in a while when he riled her up, but for the most part, she kept herself firmly guarded and stoic. Even her giant demon dog couldn't get her to crack a smile or adopt her old attitude towards the people who she used to talk to. She was long gone, and a much as he didn't want to admit it, Okita kind of missed that wild girl. No matter how annoying, she'd brought certain energy to his life in the past.

Sadaharu's head perked up as soon as Okita climbed the stairway to the Yorozuya balcony, but once he saw who it was, he rested his head back on his paws and closed his eyes. Okita slipped into the door with a frown, wondering why the women had left the dog outside. As he ambled down the darkened hall to the living room, he heard Otae's bark of outrage.

"Wrong! Kagura, addressing men to entice them is more subtle. Your intent to seduce must be clear, but not forceful. You can't scare them away. Say it again."

"But do I have to wear this?" Kagura groaned.

"The sexier you look and feel, the easier it is to act sexy," Soyo responded.

He turned the corner to the living room just as Kagura spoke in a high-pitched slow whine that was supposed to be sultry.

"Nee… do you want to play a game?"

Okita froze in place, staring at her, brows raised at what he was seeing. Never in his life would he ever have thought he would see the Yato girl bent over slightly, her ass poking out, one finger on her slightly parted lips and eyes hooded in an attempt to look seductive. He'd remembered her acting goofy in the past and pretending to be seductive, but doing it now had a totally different effect. Especially since all she was wearing was some sheer nightgown that clung to her curves in a way that made it hard to turn his gaze away. She definitely had the looks and attitude down, but the way she'd said the line sounded so comical and unbelievable. He couldn't reconcile the contradictions, and before he knew it, he found his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh. But he couldn't hold it in even if he tried.

He burst out laughing then, announcing his presence to the three women who spun around and turned to look at him in surprise. Kagura gasped, her cheeks bursting into flame as she scrambled to grab the kimono hanging on the back of the couch. She yanked it on and held it shut, glaring daggers at his head.

"What are you doing here?!" she spluttered, looking flustered and dare he say it: almost cute. "How long have you been hiding in the shadows, you creep?!"

"Calm down, China," Okita chuckled, walking fully into the living room and nodding in greeting to Otae and Soyo. "You don't nearly have enough sex appeal to excite me anyway."

The blush on her face grew more pronounced. "Soyo, I'm going to strangle him."

"Now, now," the ex-princess replied, sitting on the couch to take a languid sip of her tea. She was also clearly hiding snickers behind the rim of her cup. "Take this… pfft… as a learning experience that what you did just now…pfft… will make a normal man laugh."

"He's not a normal man though! He's a super shitty sadist!"

"And just when we'd gotten her to loosen up more…" Otae sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here, Okita?"

"I just came here to relay some final information." He pulled out the picture in his kimono that he'd gotten from Zaki and handed it to Kagura. She snatched it from his hand with eyes narrowed in distrust. "This man—Seiji Tomohiro—is our biggest suspect. In the past two months, he's become one of Lotus' regulars and highest paying customers. And in that same time, he's been spotted near many loading docks and warehouses. This is around the same time the disappearances of the women began. That's all we have on him though."

Kagura scrutinised the photo with furrowed brows. "Is this guy my ultimate target?"

Okita nodded, taking the photo back when she put it in his hands. "Your goal, yes. It's not a lot to go on, but I have it on good authority that he can be pretty volatile and dangerous to some of the women. Try not to attract his attention right now."

"Won't you attract attention if you show up though? You were the first division captain of the Shinsengumi. Won't they get suspicious if you keep coming to the Lotus?"

He could understand where she was coming from, but he found it odd that she had reservations about something that he hadn't really been associated with in half a decade. In fact, his infamy stemmed more from his notoriety in how brutally he dealt with malicious threats to Edo than his past as an officer in the Shinsengumi.

"I haven't had that title for five years. It doesn't carry much weight anymore. Besides, Yoshiwara is neutral territory especially if I'm not there to make trouble." He smirked. "Every man understands the need for sex. Why would anyone try to make trouble in a paradise?"

By the way her nose wrinkled in disgust, he could tell she'd been displeased by his explanation, though she didn't say anything.

"It'll look like I'm just there to have a good time," he added since she still looked unconvinced. "I've gone to pleasure quarters before. It's not anything out of the ordinary. My presence won't breed suspicion."

"…Are you sure?"

"Worried about me?" he muttered, leaning down into her personal space and enjoying the way she bristled slightly. But she refused to back down nonetheless, glowering up at him with a spark of ferocity in those dimmed oceanic eyes. He duly noted the subtle clench of her right fist by her side and knew any other moves would result in her punching him.

"I'm worried about _myself_ ," she spat. "If I'm seen with you, I'll end up in danger, and I don't want to get attacked because of you."

Okita shook his head in amusement, backing away when her eyes flashed a promise of pain. "Relax. At most, they'll see me paying the matron for a night with you. There is a lot of customer confidentiality. Brothels are very private about the customers they have, especially since a lot of them are government officials or tend to be married."

"If I get pulled into a fight because of you, I'm kicking your ass," Kagura said at length, though he noted the anxious look in her gaze had just about dissipated.

"Yeah, yeah." Okita waved her off. "Just don't screw up."

"I have it handled."

That definitely wasn't the impression he got when he'd walked into Yorozuya… But despite that, he knew one way or another, Kagura would probably get the job done. The one of the past had been messy, destructive, and impetuous but she seemed wiser now and patient and more reliable. Maybe that was the reason most of them had opted to ask her to partake in this mission.

"I believe you," he said seriously. "But it's not going to be an easy mission. Lotus is one of the harshest of the brothels we've seen. Take care of yourself, Kagura."

He could have sworn she had a blush on her face as she stared up at him, but she nodded in response and turned away before he could really see if it was true.

"We're busy, so if that's all you had to say, I need to prepare for tomorrow."

Okita bid the women farewell and left Yorozuya to go do his own preparations for the next step. Kagura would have a good handle on her side of things, which meant he had to do his part too to make sure this mission went the way it was supposed to. And to make sure that Kagura would be safe by the time it ended. Gintoki would want her safe, so Okita would do his best to make sure she wouldn't get hurt.

* * *

Kagura knew her ears must have been playing tricks on her, because there was no way that stupid sadist had called her by her actual name before he'd gone. His expression had been so serious that it had caught her off guard and she'd barely managed to keep her blush at bay. When she glanced at her companions' faces though, she knew she must not have imagined it because they also had the same surprised looks on their faces and were staring at the entrance where Okita had just left.

"Shall we continue on?" Otae finally said, sitting down gingerly on the couch and rubbing her abdomen. Now that Kagura looked a little more closely, she could definitely see the slight bump protruding from her kimono. She felt bad. Otae had taken a risk to come here to help her when she should have been resting and preparing for her baby.

"No. Who knows what other interruptions we might have?"

Plus Kagura refused to practice any more of the stupid seduction techniques. It was bad enough that Okita had caught her unawares and she hadn't even noticed, but to see her in such little clothing, trying to be sexy was more embarrassing than anything she could have ever imagined. She just knew he would never let her live it down.

"Well," Soyo said with a yawn, "we have basically covered everything. Everything except enticing a man and sex appeal, which is how you'll make yourself seem desirable when the time comes."

When the time comes. Kagura loathed the thought of that time when she would have to use feminine wiles to get a customer to buy her. And then trust her enough to confide in her.

"Okita was right though, Kagura." Kagura threw Soyo a warning look, but Soyo just shrugged innocently. "I meant in the sense that your sex appeal is a little lacking. Have you ever seduced a man before?"

She felt her cheeks heat again, and she grew annoyed with the trajectory of this conversation. Did they really need to be discussing this embarrassing topic? Kagura knew her feminine growth was stilted because of the way she'd grown up, but this conversation made her uncomfortable.

"…I've never had to before."

Otae smiled kindly. "Kagura, just remember: the best way to seduce any man is to pretend the man you're with is someone you are attracted to. When you replace whoever you're with with that image, the words and actions come more naturally."

Easier said than done. "I'm not attracted to anyone."

Soyo and Otae glanced at each other dubiously before looking back at Kagura. Kagura didn't like the look they had given each other, like she was an idiot lying to herself.

"Maybe by the time the mission gets fully underway, you will be."

"I doubt it," Kagura muttered, scratching her arm uncomfortably. Why did she get the feeling that they were talking about someone specific?

"Just think of someone you know who is attractive, even if you aren't attracted to them. It'll help your comfort level. Like… Sougo for example," Soyo said innocently enough. Kagura knew her friend was cackling in her mind though. She could see the corners of her mouth starting to creep up into a sadistic smile.

"Okita is not attractive," Kagura said sharply, just to spite _someone_.

But even she knew how much of a damn lie that was. If Okita the boy had been cute, Okita the man was undeniably handsome with a dangerous, disarming charm about him, and his smile was definitely enough to throw people's hearts into a fit. Not hers, though. She considered him vile, like a cockroach that just wouldn't die. And she would rather eat a thousand cockroaches before she uttered any words about Okita being attractive.

Before Soyo could continue teasing Kagura, Tsukuyo thankfully entered the living room. "Otae, Kondo is worried about you since you've been away for three days. He insisted I escort you home. And since you're staying with them, Soyo, he wishes you to return as well."

"Dumbass Gorilla…" Otae said fondly. She stood up with a soft grunt, stretching out her limbs as she moved to get the things she'd left in Shinpachi's room. "I believe this is our cue to go home then. Let me go get my stuff. Come, Soyo."

The two left the living room, and Kagura let out a relieved breath she didn't realise she had been holding. Those two could and probably would have become menaces about the last step to their plan.

Tsukuyo turned to Kagura. "Kagura, I want to properly apologise for asking you to do this for us. I would have done it myself if I could, but my Hyakka and I are too infamous and can't be found anywhere near this case otherwise we will tip off whoever is the mastermind. It should be my problem to take care of, especially since it's in Yoshiwara and now I'm putting a huge burden on you. I'm sorry for not doing my job."

Kagura really felt for the woman. She was genuinely remorseful, and it was a touching apology. Tsukuyo honestly would have had no qualms putting herself on the frontlines if she could, despite the fact that she'd probably been dealing with a lot these past few years, especially with Yoshiwara basically becoming the playground for NobuNobu's asshole regime.

"It's okay." Kagura patted her shoulder with a gentle smile. "Gin would have wanted to help you in any way he could. This is the least I can do."

Tsukuyo nodded, though she stiffened the slightest, and it wasn't lost on Kagura how Tsukuyo's expression dimmed a bit at the mention of Gintoki. With reason, of course. Tsukuyo had been his lover before he disappeared off the face of the earth. No one knew where he was or what had happened to him, but they all assumed he'd died. It still pained them to think about the important person they'd all lost in their lives. Kagura had dealt with her issues by leaving Earth to destroy aliens, but Tsukuyo continued to push on with her duties through it all, even though her heart must have been utterly broken.

"Kagura, if you need me to help you, do your best to find a way to leave me a message. I will have Hyakka stationed near Lotus."

"I will."

Tsukuyo's shoulders relaxed and she smiled, relieved. "And please be careful at Lotus. He'd never forgive me if something happened to you."

Otae and Soyo returned, bags in hand and hats on their heads to shield their faces from any bakufu walking around at night.

"Do you feel ready, Kagura?" Soyo asked her.

Kagura blew out a long breath, scratching the back of her head uneasily. "At this point, I either have it or I don't."

But their plan was to take place a little after dawn which was in only a handful of hours. There was nothing she could do to get better—but plenty she could do that could make her get worse—and she needed to start focusing on the plan and her objectives. They would commence tomorrow, and she would need plenty of time to psych herself up for her incoming duties.

"In that case, we will see you tomorrow at the rendezvous point," Otae said, wrapping her haori around her for extra warmth in the cool night. "Get some rest, Kagura."

"Thank you."

The trio left Kagura after they said their goodnights, and shortly after, Sadaharu bounded in, yipping and curling up beside her with a happy look on his face. She rubbed the spot behind his ears absentmindedly, staring at the nameplate on Gintoki's desk wistfully.

"I'm the doing the right thing, right Gin?"

She imagined if he were here, he would whip around in his chair, an enigmatic smile on his face and give her some obscure life lesson that ultimately told her that helping the people she cared about was the right thing to do. Kagura sighed, sat down, leaning back against the cushions of the couch.

"Guess it's time to prepare for tomorrow then."


	3. Chapter 3

_/_

Kagura walked slowly through the dusty, sandy streets of the small decrepit town on the outskirts on the east of Yoshiwara. She figured this town must have been one of the major suppliers to the brothels. From what she could see of the place, there weren't that many women around or adolescent females. The town had probably been picked clean of available girls.

It was disgusting, with trash littering the streets in droves and haggard old women and people dressed in rags trudging along to their destinations. Utterly malnourished kids in their underwear played carefreely in the streets, enjoying the heat of the autumn morning. Basic hygiene probably wasn't a huge factor either, since the smell of body odor and feces clung to the air. The wood of the buildings and houses were rotting with gaping holes in some establishments. A man waved a knife at a kid, threatening to dismember him if he didn't return the goods he had stolen.

It was no wonder Tomoya had set up shop in this area. With people living in such poverty like this, people were probably always selling their belongings (and probably daughters and wives) for money.

 _"If your gaze is too astute, they'll know something is up. So, try to act like a… well, maybe vapid or something." Hijikata cleared his throat awkwardly before he turned away so others could say their goodbyes. "And uh, good luck."_

 _"Thank you for all your investigating, Hijikata," she said._

 _He nodded rigidly before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it quickly._

A particularly rough breeze blew, pushing sand into her face, and Kagura shifted the broken umbrella she was using to shield herself from the debris. It barely protected her from the sun as is, but having her giant, trusty purple umbrella would draw too much attention to herself. But she could do nothing about the chill that had settled over her skin like a blanket when the cold gust of wind seeped into the holes of her tattered kimono. To emphasise the degree of her poverty, they'd all decided Kagura should wear a worn, old, too small kimono with patches and holes in various inconvenient areas. She wore no shoes either and had allowed her hair to get mussed and dirt to coat various visible parts of her skin. To finish the image, she had nothing on her person but her tattered umbrella.

It was the perfect disguise and by the end of their preparations, everyone pretty much agreed that she was the perfect example of a hidden beauty who'd been handed a bad deal in life and would be desperate to improve her life. If she could maintain the impression of an innocent girl struggling with life throughout the operation, she could probably become a very popular courtesan. And the sooner she could gain access to the head honchos, the sooner she could get this plan sorted out.

 _"Be confident in your appeal Kagura; you've grown up into an absolutely beautiful woman. But keep as low a profile as you can until you're one of the top girls," Tsukuyo said wisely as she puffed rather furiously at her pipe. Kagura could tell the woman was really starting to get anxious about this whole plan. "And I'm sor—"_

 _"Tsukki." She squeezed Tsukuyo's shoulder to reassure her that she would be fine, though she wasn't altogether confident that she would be okay either. "I made my own choice to help you all. Don't feel guilty about this."_

 _The blonde woman sighed and blew out a long stream of smoke, a small little smile of resignation on her face. "When you've completed this mission, I'll treat you to some dango, okay?"_

 _"I'll hold you to that, then."_

Kagura had a good support and backup system for this plan though, and that definitely helped her feel a bit more at ease about what she would have to do.

Although it was pretty hard to predict every aspect of their plan right down to things that could go wrong, Hijikata and the others involved had all brainstormed to think of any possible problems they could run into and ways to ensure their success and had done very well to install a network of informants to keep each other updated. They'd considered all angles and worked to make sure she had many Plan Bs and Cs while working to avoid running into dead ends or ending up in sticky situations.

Like how Lotus was known for gathering human looking, exotic Amanto as their courtesans. Her being a bright orange haired Yato was a near perfect match, so they had no doubt Tomoya would sell her to the matron of Lotus. And if he did not sell her to Lotus, they had Hinowa who could easily use her influence to get Kagura moved to Lotus.

 _"Don't fight any men. Or fight any of the women. Just try to keep your temper in check no matter how much someone pisses you off, you idiot,"Shinpachi said gruffly as he pulled her into a tight hug. The badly disguised worry in his voice made her anxious as well, and she swallowed down the tight feeling in her throat. His fears were breaking her heart._

 _"Shinpachi…"_

 _"If you need me, I will be there right away. I won't let you get hurt." He whispered softly in her ear. "I promised Gin I wouldn't. And I don't intend to break that promise."_

A drunk man pissing in front of a liquor store leered at her as she walked by. She defiantly refused to look directly at him, even when he catcalled her and turned to face her. In her peripheral vision, she could distinctly make out the motions of him stroking himself, grunting as he watched her intently. She minutely increased her pace, her cheeks flaming the slightest at the vulgar display. She wasn't incensed by his flapping member. Having travelled with her father and other Yato for a while doing alien hunting, she'd become quite used to men taking care of their business in random ditches or out in the open, but the blatant sexual harassment was something that made a shiver of disgust run down her back.

That was probably the kind of shit she would be experiencing at Lotus. Maybe worse. Even though she hadn't wanted to think about the potential abuse awaiting her, Tsukuyo had made sure to inform her of the kinds of dangerous men she could encounter. Men who beat the courtesans for even looking at them the wrong way; men who slipped opium or other drugs into their drinks; men who forced courtesans into vile activities. The dangers were endless and by the end of the lecture, Kagura knew damn well that she had to be extra careful not to bring harm her way.

Yoshiwara was supposed to be a woman's world, but they were controlled by the men who frequented the place. And for some brothels like Lotus, controlled by the Hitotsubashi faction and bakufu, the current most awful and volatile group in Edo.

 _"Stay safe, Kagura," Soyo muttered as she hugged Kagura tight, her face in her shoulder and her voice wavering a bit. "I want my best friend back in one piece when she returns, promise?"_

 _Kagura's heart clenched in her chest when she heard the distinct sound of a soft sniffle coming from her best friend. Crap. Now she felt like crying too._

 _"I promise."_

 _She gave Soyo a small squeeze before letting her go. Kagura then turned to Okita with hesitation. He'd been standing off to the side in relative boredom, watching the sky as it slowly turned from midnight black to a navy blended with purple. She didn't expect he had anything reliable to say, but when he caught her staring at him, he offered her a disarming smile. A genuine one that made her stomach flip upside down._

 _And then opened his mouth and said_

 _"You should be worried, you know? Men eat virgins like you for breakfast, China."_

 _There was silence as the others stared at Okita in utter shock and horror at the words, and Hijikata yelled at him to shut up, but Kagura felt any anxiety she had dissipate immediately, replaced by irritation and a desire to beat the crap out of something. Preferably his face._

 _"When this shit is over and done with, you're getting the beating of your life." She pointed the tip of the broken, puke yellow umbrella at him, wishing she had her more menacing Yato umbrella. As it stood, this ugly thing was barely threatening and it diluted her threat into some sort of incredulous, comedic comment._

 _His smile twisted into something sarcastic. "I'll be waiting."_

Soyo's words and the long, warm embrace she'd given Kagura had wreaked havoc on her nerves, but Okita's words had managed to force most of the nerves out of her system so she could give them all a reassuring smile as she left the abandoned shack they'd been waiting in. She didn't have a real reason to be scared right now. She wasn't alone. Hijikata was stationed at a small dumpling shack nearby the pawn shop to make sure the first part of the operation went smoothly. And she knew Okita and Shinpachi would be tailing her path until she got to the brothel to ensure part two was seamless. And of course, Tsukuyo and the Hyakka were all over Yoshiwara, ready to pounce at any moment's notice should Kagura inform them of fears for her safety.

As she entered Tomoya's gaudy green shop, she shucked away the last of whatever reservations she'd been feeling. Hijikata hadn't been lying when he said she couldn't miss it. It was the only well-developed building in this whole neighbourhood. And in the distance, she could hear the noise of a bustling establishment, though she couldn't see anything a little further in the distance but stray houses here and there. She was close to the entrance of Yoshiwara. It was just across the bridge that lead to the outskirts of Edo.

The pawn shop was incredibly cluttered with an assortment of goods and products of all sorts and types displayed on shelves against the wall. Items from ratty stuffed toys to even a really expensive sword with fantastic handiwork lined the walls.

Tomoya himself was a small old man wearing large glasses and what seemed to be a perpetually jovial smile on his face. He was resting at a table near the wall, innocuously sipping from a cup of tea. He looked fairly unassuming, but with Kagura's heightened senses, she definitely could feel the aura of treachery coming from him. There was something a little alarming about him, and above that, she knew despite his nonchalance that he was watching her like a hawk.

Good. She'd caught his attention.

Kagura swallowed and tried to make herself as small and unassuming as she could as she walked over to him, even hunching over a bit instead of standing at her full height.

"Well hello, dearie." A sip of tea. "What can I do for you today?"

"I-I would like to sell this umbrella…" she muttered, holding out the ugly, useless umbrella to him with her head bowed. "It's all I have left, but I need money to buy a passage back to my planet. My family is gone, and I think I should try to start over back home. Please, I'm desperate!"

His eyes opened a fraction to slits, revealing all-seeing grey orbs that made goosebumps rise on the back of her neck.

"Planet, you said? You're an Amanto?"

She nodded, deciding to keep it to herself that she was of the Yato clan. Amanto were common in Edo, but Yato not so much and revealing her heritage would bring way too much attention to her too soon.

Tomoya took the umbrella and inspected it, turning it to and fro with a fake look of interest. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two burly men saunter into the pawn shop quiet as mice, standing in corners. To the average person, they would look like customers, but they were tensed as if ready to strike at any moment and they kept subtly stealing glances in Tomoya's direction. There was another man directly behind her, and she could sense two more in the back room behind the counter. She was surrounded on all sides.

"I'm sorry, but this won't get you anything more than a stick of dango."

Kagura tried to look appropriately distraught. "Please sir. There's nothing here for me. Can I borrow money or something?"

"This is a pawn shop, dearie." He responded coldly, then Kagura saw him subtly nod at something behind her. She tried to keep her body from tensing to prepare for battle. It was an instinctual reaction to anything she deemed a threat, but she tried to keep herself from looking like her haunches were raised and that she could beat the crap out of everyone there with one hand tied behind her back (even though she could). "No items to sell, no money."

The man behind her bumped into her as he walked by then, his arm flailing sideways to catch his balance and smacking right into an expensive looking vase. It fell off the stand and crashed onto the ground and shattered promptly to pieces, leaving the room in deafening silence. Kagura turned and looked at the wreck of the vase, a brow raising in confusion. But when she glanced up at the man who'd knocked it over and the other men in the room, they were staring at her.

"It appears you've caused me to break it, Miss…" the man said lowly.

"What are you talking about?" Kagura asked hotly, actually kind of annoyed that he had the gall to pin the ridiculous ploy on her when it was clear who'd broken it. "You bumped into _me_!"

"My, my… There goes a really expensive vase." Tomoya's spine chilling grin spread as he gave Kagura an alarming look. "How are you going to reimburse me for this?"

"But I didn't break it," she asserted.

"I saw her run into him." One man said behind her.

"As did I." Another stated.

Ah, so those other idiotic henchmen were there to play witness and back up those dumb claims. Kagura could feel the shift in the atmosphere. A few of them had actually stepped closer and were clearly blocking any path she could have to escape from the pawn shop.

Tomoya tsked. "Lying isn't right, dearie. This was a priceless artefact and you destroyed it."

"…Well how much does it cost?" she muttered.

His smile turned into acid. A gold tooth of his glinted sinisterly from the light. "I doubt you could afford it, dearie. It's worth more than your life."

"Then how do I pay for it?" With her body, no doubt.

"Well, I could spill your blood right here. But I have a better option. I'll give you the opportunity to make it up by working for it. What do you say? It's a good place. Working wages. They'll feed and clothe you. You'll never go hungry again. And who knows, you might make enough to buy passage to your home planet."

The catch of course was that she would be selling her body to random men in hopes of fulfilling this debt. Girls who agreed to this probably never got to see the real world again.

Kagura nodded nonetheless, mentally preparing herself to throw away her freedom. "I'll do it."

/

If the goal was to make the women feel like cattle for purchase once they were sold to be a courtesan, they had utterly succeeded. Kagura felt like a stranger in her own skin, being poked and prodded and examined by the okaasan of Lotus, a woman who'd given her nothing but dirty looks from the minute she'd been pushed into an empty back room of the teahouse in Lotus. She was a rotund, short matron oozing sex appeal in the way she walked and carried herself. She was dressed elaborately, smoking on a kiseru and decked out in numerous expensive jewels and ornaments with makeup layered intricately on her face. And Kagura knew right off the bat that this woman was a bitch.

It'd been an uneventful trip after agreeing to Tomoya's terms. He and a few other men had escorted (although escorted was too generous) her to Yoshiwara before taking her to meet the woman who apparently would own her life for the next several years. Or as long as it would take for Kagura to finish up this mission.

"You seem to be rather developed." The old woman stopped pacing around Kagura and stood in front of her. "Remove those rags. I want to get a better look at you."

"What?"

She grabbed Kagura by the chin and yanked her down, glaring at her in contempt. "You would do well to learn to respond with a proper 'excuse me' or learn to hold your tongue, girl. I will not repeat myself again. Take off your clothes."

Kagura swallowed but refused to move. Her hands clenched into fists by her side as she glowered at a spot on the tatami.

Without a word, the matron snapped her fingers and the two bodyguards she'd brought with her each took hold of one of Kagura's arms, forcing her to stay in place as the matron approached. She yanked at Kagura's obi until it came undone, falling away easily because of how worn the material was. Then she tugged the front of the kimono sharply, and it opened, exposing Kagura to the entire room. The bodyguards let her go, and Kagura focused on taking slow, deep breaths to keep herself from shaking.

When the tattered kimono slipped from her shoulders and landed in a pool beside her feet, Tomoya and his goons began to catcall, whistling suggestively as they eyed her from head to toe, their gazes often lingering on her chest or the spot between her legs. Being stripped in front of random men and put on display like some livestock for sale had been an embarrassment that Kagura had not been prepared for. The leers on the faces of the men from her exposure was humiliating. The cold from the air chilled her body to the core, and goosebumps rose up on her flesh despite the fact that her cheeks were burning in shame. She felt dehumanised and wanted to hide herself or at least cover her most intimate parts.

"She's already grown. Ripe, I would say." The okaasan stared up at Kagura with her lip curled in disgust. "Her skin isn't bad, looks smooth, but that hair colour is hideous. Why do you think this street trash is worthy of work at Lotus?"

Kagura kept her gaze trained on the ground, though most of her wanted to punch the dumb woman. She'd never been disrespected this badly in her life. No amount of grovelling from any of her allies would ever make up for the atrocity of this situation. And to her horror, she realised this would only be the beginning. Things were bound to get worse from here on out, and Kagura wasn't ready for this. And it was too late to back out.

"But her hair is exotic. Plus she's an Amanto. Men always fantasise about sleeping with beautiful Amanto women," Tomoya explained. "She'll bring in big money."

"Oh?" The okaasan rose a brow in mock intrigue, taking a puff of her kiseru before releasing the smoke in a cloud in Kagura's face. Kagura tried to hold back her coughs, her throat seizing for a second from the pungent scent of the second-hand smoke. "An ugly, lanky thing like her? With dead, expressionless eyes like those and calloused hands?"

Just what was her problem? Kagura knew she had something of a blank faced look these days and the callouses were real, but she was definitely not _ugly_.

"I'm sure she'll attract a good deal of men," Tomoya pressed, rubbing his hands together as if he was a salesman trying to make a bargain with an uninterested customer. He smiled widely, the light reflecting off of a gold tooth in the front of his mouth. Kagura took an involuntary step back away, but one of the bodyguards pushed her back forward. "I can take her for a whirl if you'd like me to break her into the line of work."

"She is not to be touched until her apprenticeship. And her mizuage is for a high paying patron only. Come back in a month if you think you can afford her."

Against her better judgement, Kagura made eye contact with the vile man and he returned her an obscene smirk that made her want to vomit.

"I will be back." Tomoya turned back to face the matron. "Now let's discuss my payment for leaving you with this prize."

The okaasan rolled her eyes but approached him to negotiate. "You may put your clothes back on."

Kagura reached down and snatched on the flimsy piece of clothing immediately, trying to stop her trembling fingers when she kept fumbling with tying the obi. Her whole body felt violated. She swore if those Shinsengumi bastards didn't do everything in their power to be the patron for her mizuage, she would skin them alive and feed them to one of Prince Hata's stupid pets.

Once dressed, she craned her ears to try to listen to the soft muttering between Tomoya and the old matron of Lotus.

"I promise I'll bring a new crop soon. It's just that the location is running—"

"What good are promises when you've given me no reason to trust your word…" The woman drawled, blowing out smoke. Tomoya almost seemed to cower under her glare and he kept sending anxious glances towards the two large men standing partially behind Kagura. "I expected a better crop this month, Tomoya. If you fail me again I'll make sure you suffer."

"Y-yes ma'am."

"Take your money and get out of my sight. Your disgusting filth is making me sick."

Tomoya rushed away with his men, and Kagura quickly pretended to have been staring off into space when the okaasan turned around.

"I am the okaasan of Lotus' teahouse and the matron of the brothel," the matron said as she sauntered back to Kagura. "You are to address me as Mimori though. I am not a den mother or a mentor, so don't expect any sympathy towards a gutter rat like you. How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"You're well past the age that most of my girls have their mizuage. But you're unrefined and I can't advance you. Here at Lotus, we need blossomed flowers, not unharvested seeds." She started pacing again, ticking points off on her fingers. "You need to learn proper deference, we need to fatten you up in the hips a bit more, you need more grace, and those lifeless eyes won't attract anyone if you can't use them to your advantage. Only then will we begin your apprenticeship. Of course, you understand that any resources we use on you will count towards your debt."

So that was how they kept girls in crippling debt. Kagura didn't even know how much Tomoya had sold her for or what the cost of that stupid vase was. Kagura quickly paid attention again when she realised Mimori had still been talking.

"It doesn't matter whether you're a virgin or not. All men want are virgins, so no matter who you service, you are always a virgin. Even after your mizuage, you are a virgin, understood?"

Kagura began to open her mouth to speak but Mimori cut her off before she could say anything.

"Shut your trap, girl! I told you you are to be seen and not heard!" Mimori barked furiously. "Get that through that ugly skull of yours."

Kagura fought the urge to roll her eyes to the sky at this woman's absolute desire for control. It would really take so much effort to keep herself from snapping at the okaasan.

"Come with me."

Mimori led her through a few of the sliding doors, past some girls being treated and checked by doctors and a few others lying sick in futons. They stared at her blearily as she walked through, and what Kagura saw in their eyes made her lick her lips nervously. It was the look of women who'd given up on life. Even without saying anything to her, she could see the clear message they were trying to tell her: your life is over now.

The matron stopped by a doctor who called her over, crouching low and speaking quietly as they discussed a vomiting courtesan nearby. Kagura only caught a few words like bloating, weight gain, and fatigue, but Mimori's grim order to "get rid of it", told Kagura all she needed to know about what was going on with the woman. She looked away and was glad when Mimori continued to lead them through these back rooms.

She bypassed what seemed like a steam room with futons, blankets, and parts of kimonos being hung to wash or hung to dry. A number of the futons had bloodstains on them and Kagura stared at them with a sense of foreboding and understanding as to why they had the blood. She didn't look away quick enough because Mimori saw where her gaze was directed.

"You're a curious one, aren't you?" Mimori said none too kindly. "Those bloodstains are from a lost maidenhood. We had quite a few mizuage recently. Well, that and some particularly rough patrons. Come."

It made Kagura sick to her stomach.

She took Kagura around more corners and past a kitchen with a marvellous smell coming from it. On cue, Kagura's stomach growled, demanding more food since she'd been neglecting it all day. The old woman either pretended not to hear it or ignored her nonverbal plea for something to eat. They rounded a few more corners in a quieter part of the brothel where women looked exhausted and the air was frigid with the subtle scent of fear clinging to the corners. They passed a closed door with some bloodcurdling scream coming from inside that chilled Kagura to the bone. What the hell was happening to the woman in there?

She tried to keep her expression neutral and followed Mimori into a different room a few doors down. It looked like a futon storage room of some sort save for the man in there with some kind a flogger and some looped rope hanging from the ceiling.

"This is where I leave you. Give her ten lashings for daring to defy my orders and talking back. Then lock her up in the punishment room until morning. Do not give her food." Mimori addressed the man in the room. Then she turned to Kagura with a sneer. "Let me make one thing clear to you: I don't like you. You Amanto trash don't belong on Earth."

Kagura clenched her fists, reminding herself fervently that she was doing this to help her friends and that once she was done with this shit, she'd never have to come back here again. But Mimori's vitriol had just put hr on the top of Kagura's suspect list. With a comment like that, how could she not be suspicious?

When Mimori left, the man with the flogger turned to Kagura. "Remove the top of your kimono and hold that looped rope."

Kagura did as she was told, shedding the upper part of her kimono and reaching up to hold the rope as the man walked behind her. He dipped the flogger in a bucket of water before slapping it sharply against her skin. She felt the sting, but didn't react, only keeping her breathing even as he went for her another time. She kept her gaze dead ahead, barely flinching with each strike of the flogger on her naked skin. There was never a time she'd been so grateful that she was born a Yato who could take a real beating. The hits felt like a small sting compared to the kind of attacks she'd suffered from powerful alien species she'd fought with her Papi.

Despite feeling no humour in the situation, she couldn't help but wonder what her Papi would do if he somehow found out about this plan. He'd probably destroy all of Yoshiwara just to find her. She latched on to that thought, refusing to fall into despair over the depths of cruelty this place allowed.

The flogger made sharp contact with her skin again.

/

Kagura was shoved roughly, pushed so hard she stumbled into the dark room and fell to her knees from the surprise of the violent motion.

"If you try to escape this room tonight, you'll suffer an even more severe punishment," the man warned her before slamming the door shut and submerging her in total darkness.

"Yeah, yeah… Fuck you." Kagura muttered, reaching over and under her shoulders in her kimono to feel the skin of her back.

Her back was stiff from her whipping and there was a splash of sore, raised welts covering her back. They would heal by the morning for sure, but she was irritated that she even had to go through this ordeal in the first place. The others had definitely underestimated the amount of sacrifices she'd truly have to make for this. If this was just the first day, how bad would the rest of them be? She was already so exhausted from the events of the day and the treatment she'd gotten from these people, and she hadn't even really gotten a full start on this mission.

Her stomach growled impatiently, a familiar hunger pang travelling through her body. She wished she'd had the foresight to eat as much as she could prior to leaving to go on the mission. If she had known this is what would happen, she would have forced food into her stomach, despite how much in knots it had been.

"You must be new," said a soft voice from another corner of the room. Kagura nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned in that direction. It took her a little bit to adjust her eyes to the darkness there, but she could just make out the figure of a young woman. "Don't worry. Mimori does this to all the new girls to see if they have the strength to endure the coming difficult training."

"That's nice to know I'm going to get beaten for the rest of my time here…" Kagura snarked. She settled for sitting straight backed instead of reclining against the wall. Putting pressure on her wounds made the material of her kimono chafe against her back and that made them itch as they healed. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Honoka," she said. "Mimori stops physically punishing the girls once we become apprentices. But you don't have all the time in the world. She only really allows you a week to meet the requirements for apprenticeship at Lotus. If you fail, you'll be kicked out."

So Kagura had a time limit. She was glad she'd worked with Tsukki, Soyo, and Otae to get better at this first. Otherwise she could have been in some sort of real pinch.

"The expectations are very high, but better this than working in some other brothel. Not all of them are nice places. Lotus is one of the most beneficial. Girls here get full meals and good rooms and clothes. And at least abuse of the girls by lower paying customers is dealt with properly…"

Tsukuyo had implied that Yoshiwara had been getting progressively worse thanks to the control the Hitotsubashi faction had over the place now, but Kagura hadn't realised it really was getting that dangerous for women. And these brothel owners probably had no choice but to accept the new status quo since opposing the shogun could result in horrible, undeserved consequences. Kagura could see more than ever now that the more outspoken and strong willed someone was, the more of a danger they posed to themselves as targets. She had to tread lightly.

"Why are you in the punishment room, Honoka? Are you also new?"

"No, I've been an apprentice for two weeks now. But I tripped when serving someone in the teahouse. I'm just not cut out for this at all!" she whimpered, sniffling suddenly as she started hiccupping. This girl was clearly the type who could get broken in an environment like this. "I don't know how I'll make it past apprenticeship, but I don't want to end up like that green haired girl!"

"Green haired girl?"

"She failed apprenticeship and then she disappeared from Yoshiwara. I think she was killed!"

That got her attention. "Why do you think that?"

The door opened before Kagura could get any other information though. Light flooded into the room, hurting Kagura's eyes as thy tried to adjust to the onslaught of light. A woman in a particularly decorative kimono for lounging walked in with a chilling smile.

"Honoka, your punishment is up. Come with me," she said.

Honoka gave Kagura a small farewell smile before scurrying out of the door of the dank room to her freedom. The other courtesan just stared at Kagura pensively for a moment, looking like she had something she wanted to say. They made eye contact briefly and for a second, Kagura could have sworn something indescribable was in the other girl's gaze, but it disappeared as soon as it was there. She spun on her heel and left. The door snapped shut with a bang and once again, Kagura was engulfed in darkness, kept company only by her thoughts and the growling of her stomach.

Between Tomoya selling girls, Mimori and her heavy distaste for Amanto, and the apparent vanished green haired girl, something untoward had to be going on here. And Kagura vowed to get to the bottom of it.


End file.
